HELENA— I’ve often believed that sports competition is one of humanity’s greatest inventions, right up there with music.
Sports bring people together. Being a part of a basketball team is a fantastic way to share a common bond with others, and, to be honest, few things are better than that.
The skills you learn, the connections you form, the camaraderie — it’s wonderful.
If you’ve been fortunate enough to be on a sports team, or any team for that matter, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
It’s also why the NAIA legislation passed Monday, which effectively bans transgender players from competing in women’s athletics, is both foolish and disconcerting.
Athletes are barred from participating in NAIA-sponsored women’s activities under the new rule, which will take effect on August 1st, if their biological sex is female and they have not yet begun hormone therapy. All athletes, transgender or not, will be able to participate in sports under the policy.
It’s a step in the direction of “protecting” children’s sports even if it accomplishes nothing of the sort.
Children’s sports were not under attack. At least not from transgender athletes.
The exact number of transgender athletes competing in the United States, in college or high school, isn’t known. But the number is small.
The NAIA didn’t cite any numbers when it passed its policy. Additionally, it failed to respond to an inquiry from 406 MT Sports regarding the number of transgender athletes competing in NAIA-sponsored activities.
However, the NAIA issued the following statement on Monday:
The updated NAIA policy seeks to strike a balance between the interests of the organization and its obligations to 1) provide transgender athletes with fair competition, 2) establish a structure that allows members to comply with Title IX and other applicable laws, and 3) provide appropriate and reasonable opportunities for them to compete. Throughout the entire process, individuals and student-athletes provided feedback on transgender participation in sports, with the feedback overwhelmingly in favor of the proposed plan.
The NAIA, an organization that oversees 241 institutions, including six in Montana, created a solution in search of a problem.
But it’s not a solution — it’s actually a harmful plan. and one that may hinder individuals when they compete in other arenas.
Why are we so concerned about safeguarding something that wasn’t under threat? All while ignoring a real issue, one that is backed by data, which is the significantly higher mortality rates among transgender individuals.
Policies like the one the NAIA passed, by unanimous vote (20-0), will harm more student athletes than it helps.
It’s unfair for just one transgender athlete to be denied the opportunity to participate and join a team.
And unfairness for one, is unfairness for all.
Trans athletes deserve the same opportunities we all have — to be part of a team, to compete, to push their limits, to grow. Ultimately, like all people, they simply seek inclusion — to be accepted.
Unfortunately, the NAIA and its Council of Presidents sent a clear message to transgender athletes that they don’t belong, simply for being who they are.
That policy is unjust, and this nation is all too familiar with it.
Whether it’s people of color, women, or transgender individuals, there’s a long history of gatekeeping in sports for all the wrong reasons.
Here we go again.
Oh, don’t worry though, transgender women can participate in practice. They can take part in team activities, they just can’t play.
That’s not justice. That’s discrimination.
It would be akin to a student enrolling in a choir class only to be told they can’t perform in a concert because they are transgender.
We as a society wouldn’t stand for that. Just like we shouldn’t stand for this.
The NAIA Council of Presidents chose the easy way out, offering nothing but isolation, and instead of doing the right thing, finding a way to include trans athletes in a manner that is fair and equitable.
John Cech, the Carroll College president, and one of the 20 NAIA Presidents to vote in favor of the transgender policy, declined to comment on his vote, referring 406 MT Sports to the NAIA.
The athletic directors at Carroll, Rocky Mountain College, and Providence all responded similarly. Requests for comment from ADs at Montana Tech, MSU-Northern, and Montana Western went unanswered.
In its press release, the NAIA cited “overwhelming support” from its member schools and sports. No response was provided when 406 MT Sports asked whether any transgender athletes were consulted, whether the emotional well-being of transgender athletes was considered, or if there had been instances of student athletes misrepresenting their gender to gain a competitive advantage.
That’s the complex situation behind this policy. Too bad it’s nothing but a product of collective ignorance.
The NAIA Council of Presidents sent a clear message on Monday, not just through their words but also through their self-imposed silence.
Silence always benefits the powerful, and on this issue, there is no such thing as neutrality.
Sports are a precious commodity and irrespective of race, color, creed, disability, or gender all deserve access.
Everyone should have the opportunity to play sports for the team.
Trans individuals included.
For inquiries, email: [email protected] or text/call: 406-475-4292.
